In view of the seminar “let’s change our behaviour, not the climate”, here is a selection of the recommendations on looking at our practical behaviour with the environment in the framework of the Erasmus + programmes.

Indeed we know about the necessity of being attentive to the gestures of preserving our natural resources in our daily lives and should be worried about the influences on the small actions realized on an individual level. There is an extract with good practices which could be concluded as maxims of “the necessaries”. These individual practices could be widened to be appropriated in view of Erasmus+.

Concerning consumption:

favor the consumption of local and seasonal products and if possible issued from organic agriculture

lower the consumption of meat and intend to eat vegetarian menus at least once a day for everyone

refer to or reuse your pedagogical material from former projects

limit the consumption of paper: print two-sided, put two pages on one paper and / or use draft paper

have a vegetable garden at your place or install a flower box at the cornice of your windows or balconies

give things you don’t need anymore to someone else

On your behalf, reduce the consumption of water

prefer taking a shower than taking a bath. A shower should be fast to really generate a saving (a normal shower needs 15 to 20 liters in a minute. One minute less of showering per person economises 20×365=7300 liters yearly per person!), a bath needs about 150 liters of flowing water

recover rain water for watering plants, flush the toilet, etc

pee in the shower, it economises 7 liters water!

install flow regulators in water taps and knobs in the shower for reducing the flow

close the water taps while brushing your teeth; 3 minutes of water flowing are 40 liters of waste

use the dish washer: a new dish washer uses 20 liters of water, when washing by hand it takes 50 liters (for 4 persons)

Remarkable is that only 7% of the daily used water in the households is not used for food or drinking, all the rest is lastly used for cleaning.

Regarding energy

turn off the screens, the light; an old television screen takes 30% more than a usual consumption; for a computer screen it is 15%

program old screens so that they go to standby after 2 minutes of not being used

unplug electronical devices if they are not used (connector); so there will be 30% of the consumption economised

use the stairs instead of using the elevator; it tones your buttocks!

Waste

separate the waste

compost fermentable materials; on average it is 70% of our waste!

use dry toilets

use reusable / washable materials: cotton, napkins, tissues

don’t throw cigars on the floor. One cigar impurifies up to 500 liters of water if it is thrown in a gully